AUSTIN – It was a miserable outing, one of his worst in a Texas uniform.

In the aftermath of Matt Coleman's 5-for-16 shooting performance in a loss to Providence, coach Shaka Smart pulled aside his sophomore point guard for some blunt advice.

"You can't lead us in shot attempts unless they're all layups," Smart told Coleman. "You've got to get other guys shots and create plays for other guys."

The words stuck with Coleman, who deftly alternated between aggressive finisher and shot-creating distributor in the Longhorns' (10-4, 2-0 Big 12) 61-54 win over West Virginia (8-6, 0-2) Saturday night at the Erwin Center.

The win moved Texas into a three-way tie with No. 11 Texas Tech and Iowa State atop the conference standings. It also marked the first 2-0 start in Big 12 play for Texas since the 2010-11 season, when it strung together 11 straight victories to start.

Texas was without sophomore forward Jericho Sims, who sustained a right ankle injury during Friday's practice and was spotted wearing a walking boot prior to tip-off. An MRI revealed no structural damage, but he will remain out "indefinitely" while receiving several treatments per day.

But the absence of West Virginia shot-blocking menace Sagaba Konate (knee) loomed larger over this Big 12 battle.

Coleman and the Longhorns took advantage of open driving lanes and clear rim looks that could only exist in a Konate-less environment.

Texas connected on 9 of 13 shots inside the arc in the first half and scored 18 of its 32 points in the paint. Twice in the first half's closing minutes Coleman turned on the jets to skirt around defenders and finish with a layup at the rim, two key buckets in his 9-point half.

Smart at times utilized guard-heavy lineups to keep the pressure on West Virginia's suddenly vulnerable defense. He paired Coleman, Kerwin Roach, Jase Febres and Courtney Ramey with Dylan Osetkowski toward the end of the first half, and that group helped extend the lead to six before intermission.

"We knew at times they were going to have a lineup with us guards that we could take advantage of the bigger guys out there," Coleman said. "The way they defend, they play the passing lane and make it tough for you to catch, so we just kept trying to get into our actions and eventually they break down and drive lanes open."

Texas lets its grip on the game slip in the second half.

Forward Jaxson Hayes and Royce Hamm both picked up their third fouls early on, further shortening a rotation already condensed due to Sims' injury. Roach, amid a deluge of turnovers and ill-advised shots, also picked up his third foul and put West Virginia into the bonus with over 13 minutes remaining, eliciting a collective groan from fans exasperated by the officials' constant whistles.

Osetkowski kept Texas ahead, utilizing an array of up-and-under move in the post and flashing his patented pump fake to lure West Virginia into committing shooting fouls.

With West Virginia again threatening, Coleman pushed the pace and spotted an open Osetkowski floating on the wing. He whipped a pass to the big man, who sank a 3-pointer to give Texas a 49-41 lead and some breathing room with 8:47 remaining.

Osetkowski finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Coleman went for 17 points on 6 of 10 and three assists.

West Virginia wouldn't fade, though. Freshman big man Derek Culver took advantage of the Longhorns' foul trouble, utilizing his chiseled frame to grab boards and settle in the post.

He scored nine points in the second half and finished with 17 and nine rebounds.

But Texas had an answer – and then some – for everything.

With the shot clock winding down, Coleman found himself trapped in the corner, just in front of the Texas bench. Left with no other option, he lofted a fade-away 3-pointer that soared high and fell through the net, pushing the lead to 59-54 with 1:03 remaining.

He added two free throws in the closing seconds to ice the game and send Texas to its third straight victory.

"I knew I needed to make something happen quick and fast, get a shot up," Coleman said of his off-kilter three. "Thank god it went in."